Greetings Professor: Nothing to Report Today
by Jagged Jagen
Summary: History has an uncanny way of forgetting its greatest heroes. Such is the case for The Gatekeeper, the unacknowledged true hero of the battle of the three armies, as his ingenuity and dedication proved an unlikely asset. Recently, a historian has uncovered a collection of journals from this unsung hero and has made it their duty to set history right and call to light his heroism.


**Greetings Professor: Nothing to Report!**

A story of love, loss, and the art of the written message.

**Foreword by Prof. Taeko Kaga, head of the Historical Studies Department at Garreg Mach University: **

For generations, the stories of Fódlan have delighted both the young and the old, inspiring generations of heroes and heroines to take up arms and stand up for what they believe in. However, time has a peculiar way of losing sight of the unsung hero, and as a historian, it is my sworn duty to set history right. After the great fire of 1937, I found myself in the depths of the Garreg Mach treasure vaults, where I found a collection of parchment, carefully preserved. Although some of the words have been lost to time, the context is ever clearer. For the purpose of readability, I have taken it upon myself to abridge these documents for your enjoyment, as the author's vocabulary was let's say… worldly for the modern viewer.

I apologize, for I have rambled on far too long. What these documents contain is a first-hand account of the child of Nemesis, the battle of the three houses, the emergence of those who slither in the dark, and the rebirth and unification of Fódlan, making it the place we call home today. They are written from the perspective of a gatekeeper, who injects a level of humour and pathos into his work that was very peculiar for the time. I ask that you bear with his… rather unique way of writing, for the historical treasures found within accounts, paints a fully-fledged portrait of a true unsung hero. Without further delay, I invite you to immerse yourself in the works of this gatekeeper.

_**Journal I**_

_**Dated: The 20**__**th**__** of Great Tree Moon**_

_(Running approximately two pieces of parchment, each spotless except for a minor tea stain atop the upper right-hand corner)_

Greetings, uh, me. Wow, what a day. What a day indeed. So, get this, I was just watching the gate, you know, doing the kinda stuff the gatekeeper would do, when this young woman passed by. She said her name was Hilda, and she had a certain charm to her. To be frank, she was pretty darn cute. Goddess, forgive me, why did I write that?

Anyhow, yes, so this Hilda person walked up to me. Her hair was beautiful, I swear she must wash it every day. I know I don't, I mean, I'm a gatekeeper, and if I smell than I keep people away from the gate I do. As such, I have made it a habit to sleep in my helmet and armour every day. After all, one never knows when danger might strike. Oh darn! I'm going off on a tangent again. Not that I've been known to do that. Except for the time that I was talking to Shamir about the daily report and then went on about that cute merchant girl, Anna, I think her name is.

Wait, cute girl. Yes, Anna. No, wait, Hilda. Yes, sorry, I seem to have gotten off track. Yes, this Hilda person was wanting to explore the monastery and spend a day at the shops, but I told her no, she cannot go to the shops until Claude comes back, as Claude is her superior. She tried to flirt with me, but I did not fall for it. I was not going to let her through to that market. Nope, that is not the sort of thing I would do. I mean, she did ask to go to the greeting hall instead to greet Claude and I was totally ok with letting her through to there, but I can assure you that I did not let her into that market. Now, come to think of it, she did come back with a hand full of shopping bags, but those must have been gifts from other students. I've heard they're rather sweet on her.

Anyhow, all seemed to be going normally, until I heard the emergency bell sounded. It seemed that Rhea was having another one of her premonitions. Personally, I've never had a premonition, but she seems to get them all the darned time. Ah well, what's it matter. She had one, and Alois and the Knights of Seiros started blasting towards the door.

Alois was crying "open that blasted thing!" and I did, because as a good gatekeeper, it was my sworn duty to do so. Shame he had to go so quickly, he often runs his material by me. It's quite funny, I think he will be a great comedian one day –

_Note from Prof. Kaga: He didn't become one._

I just hope that he is safe. I don't know what I'd do without that guy. Oh, and the students too… they're also important. I mean, Edelgard is really rude to me, when I'm trying to do my job, but she is still the future Empress. I don't hate her the way my twin brother does. Claude always seems to think it funny to hide firecrackers in barrels to get me off of my post, but I take my job very seriously and made sure my good friend Prof. Hanneman put a stop to that. As for Dimitri, I like that guy. I would expect him to be one of those holier-than-though types, but he's surprisingly cool. Goddess, I hope they are alright.

_**Journal II**_

_**Dated: The 21**__**th**__** of Great Tree Moon**_

_(A single piece of parchment with a tear on the lower left-hand corner)_

Thank the goddess, the students are safe. Oh, and Alois is too. He actually ran a really funny joke by me in the dining hall this afternoon, something about a bulletin board and a penguin. I mean, I don't really know what a Penguin is. Apparently, they're local to Almyra or Duscur or Brigid or something, but I can say with utmost confidence that I have never seen a penguin in my life. I would happily stop one from getting in though, if this penguin proves something of a threat.

_Note from Prof. Kaga: At the time of writing, penguins were native to Duscur. About 200 years after the writing of this journal, they emigrated to the Adrestian Empire where they remain today._

Anyhow, it turns out those students were saved by some sort of mercenary dude. He looks friendly if stern… kinda like Jeralt. Makes sense, given he's Jeralt's kid and all. Oh, I forgot to mention, Jeralt is back! I never uh, actually met him, but I read about him in the library in my spare time and Alois will not shut up about him, so he must be this really important guy.

Anyhow, I had the honour of showing the Professor around. He seemed really cool, but also a little tired. I can feel his pain: those students woke him up in the middle of the night being chased by bandits. I can relate, I have also had to stay up at night some times. Anyhow, he went to sleep and I went back to guarding the gates, my favourite thing to do. I mean it, too. I mean, sure it can get boring, and the beating sun certainly does me no favours, but it gives me a purpose in life. Another day, another set of lives protected. Ah, it feels good to be me.

_**Journal III**_

_**Dated: The 30**__**th**__** of Great Tree Moon, **_

_(A half piece of parchment, immaculate condition)_

So, it seems that the professor has been appointed as the leader of the Golden Deer house. I can't say that would be my first choice, but I'm also not a professor, so what do I know. They had their first mock-battle earlier today, and the Golden Deer won. Good for them! They had a big celebration dinner with everyone invited… except for me of course. I wasn't invited. I'm never invited to these things. However, Flayn snuck a plate out and gave it to me. It had Duscur bear, northern Fódlan vegetables and these delicious sweets. I ate well tonight! Goddess bless that girl, she has the heart of a saint.

Anyhow, it looks like this month is coming to an end, and with the end of the month comes the start of something new and exciting. I simply cannot wait to see what lies ahead. Here's hoping this professor ends up bringing something new and interesting to this tiny little monastery. It can certainly get boring around here from time to time, even when something is exciting is happening near the gates. I long for something… new. Ah well, nobody cares about me anyways. I want to be a Knight of Seiros, but I truly love guarding this gate. Life can be tricky sometimes.


End file.
